Congratulations to your H!!!! that must be a big boost for his confidence!! (although i am miffed that he is taking you away...here i was going to tempt you to hang out with me at various cafes LOL!).

have you had a squiz at the rental market in the town your moving into? sometimes gives a good idea of housing stock and areas that might seem nice.

moving the cat shouldnt be too tricky. we moved with our cat back to Australia and that was a PITA $$ and time wise as we have really strict quarantine procedures, but friends that have moved to the UK (for example) said that it was nowhere near as full on...(we paid almost $2000 to relocate the cat). your local vet probably has a relocation service that is worth asking about as they then take care of all the admin etc...

moving is madness whether you have kids or no kids and i dont believe age is really too much of a factor, especially before they start school. we have moved every 2 years in the last 10 years and you get through it. DD1 has moved 3 times (of course not OS...yet lol!), and her first time was when she was 3 months old (we moved interstate to come to melb). it actually wasnt too bad at all! my only really big tip is to get their room with their stuff sorted out ASAP when you get there. even if you are in temporary accommodation, get their porta-cots etc set up with the bedding (my tip: use their old bedding, unwashed from home....i found this REALLY helped...). get their routine in order as much as possible. i have found that DD coped quite well with the jet lag as the excitement etc of the journey (she was 2 at the time) really helped to tucker her out. we arrived during the day, so we tried (without too much insistence or focus) to keep her awake as long as possible (went for walks, bought snacks, watched DVDs). then when she did flake out in the late arvo, i let her sleep until just before dinner time and got her up for the dinner, bed, milk and storytime routine. it helped us get into a rhythm...

although it's a big move, it will be a fun experience for you and the kids! think of it as an adventure!! (oh and we might need your tips and hints soon in any case, my DH is off...with us in tow...in March next year to test the waters in LA...oh boy).